User Comments

1. 

   9/18/09

   clioandme

   Know who has declared it Constitution Day and what the history of this day is? If you find anything, please share.
   
   The sentiment in the OP is nice, though maybe we should remember that Constitution is about more than the Bill of Rights. It also is the basis upon which political, and civil authority as well as military power is constituted, just to name some other things.

   [reply]
2. 

   9/18/09

   Agit8r

   ' The law establishing the holiday was created in 2004 with the passage of an amendment by Senator Robert Byrd to the Omnibus spending bill of 2004.[3] Before this law was enacted, the holiday was known as "Citizenship Day". In addition to renaming the holiday "Constitution Day and Citizenship Day," the act mandates that all publicly funded educational institutions provide educational programming on the history of the American Constitution on that day. '
   
   en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_Day_(United_States)

   [reply]
   1. 

      9/18/09

      clioandme

      Guess that didn't happen in DC. No school today.
3. 

   9/18/09

   polybore

   The US Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Made in Scotland. Don't all thank us at once.

   [reply]
   1. 

      9/18/09

      clioandme

      Care to explain? I always picture Stuart kings with absolutist ambitions, and the last one was sent packing in 1688, leading to Constitutionalism in England. Was that the Scottish contribution you have in mind?
   2. 

      9/18/09

      polybore

      Declaration of Independence is a rehash of the Declaration of Arbroath (1320). Hence Tartan day and all that in the US. www.bbc.co.uk/history/scottishhistory/independence/features_independence_ar...
      
      The constitution is born of the philosophy of the Scottish Enlightenment.
      
      en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_Enlightenment
      
      James Madison in particular was heavily influenced by the Scots Philosopher David Hume and his essay "Idea of a Perfect Commonwealth" www.constitution.org/dh/perfcomw.htm
   3. 

      9/18/09

      Agit8r

      so... "The Patriot" was a sequel to "Braveheart." I'm so confused...